CAMPINES 



All 



middle of June, which commenced laying early 

 in November, and have laid ever since ; been 

 getting three and four eggs daily, sometimes 

 four per day five days in succession.' 



" They are what I call a ' homely ' breed, and 

 with decent treatment readily oat out of the 

 attendant's hand ; and although when 

 thoroughly alarmed they can fly a great height, 

 I hnd in practice that 6-fcct netting keeps them 

 within bounds. They are non-sitters and re- 

 markable foragers, so that on a free run they 

 require very little assistance in the matter of 

 food. 



I have had them successfully reared on a stiff 

 clay, with an excess of moisture for weeks 

 together. In a fairly extensive experience, they 

 are the most precocious youngsters I have ever 

 come across. When hatched in fine weather, I 

 have had the cockerels crowing under five 

 weeks. The colour, when hatched, of both 

 Golds and Silvers, is dark brown, the Golds 

 being a shade richer. 



" In order to avoid that bane of so many 

 otherwise good breeds, double mating, the 

 Campine Club very wisely revised their 

 standard, and made the plumage of cocks 



Silver Campines as exhibited in igoo. 

 (From a drawing kindly !ent by Mr. T. B. Bracken.) 



" The plumage of the hens is very similar to 

 our Pencilled Hamburghs, but the pencilling is 

 broader. In cocks the breast and wing-bar are 

 pencilled like the hens, the back and saddle in 

 most specmiens being at present white. The 

 main tail is black, and the sickles in the best 

 specimens are edged with white or mackerel 

 markings. The combs are single, erect in the 

 cocks, and falling over in hens like a Leg- 

 horn's. After the plumage and smart, grace- 

 ful carriage, the most striking characteristic is 

 the dark, apparently black, full, prominent 

 eye ; when closely observed, however, it is 

 found that the pupil only is black, the iris 

 being a very dark brown. 



" The chicks are hardy, and feather quickly. 



identical with that of hens ; and, with a view 

 to discourage the introduction of Hamburgh 

 blood, have also made red eyes a disqualifi- 

 cation. The question of broad versus narrow 

 pencilling has not been discussed, but my own 

 idea is to go for the broad markings. In this 

 respect my second prize Palace cockerel excels 

 my cup winner, the latter having narrow 

 markings, though bred from the same pen. 



" In regard to the two colours. Silvers and 

 Golds, at present the Golden are a trifle smaller 

 than the Silvers, but, generally speaking, they 

 have whiter lobes. I find, however, that both 

 my Golds and Silvers are increasing in size as 

 well as improving in markings." 



Writing in igii, the Rev. E. Lewis Tones, 



